Hello once again,
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my name is Kameron De Vasher.
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I'm a pastor in
the Michigan Conference
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but we're enjoying
time here in Hawaii
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with Secrets Unsealed,
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and we're in the
middle of a series of messages
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entitled "Equipping the Saints."
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Now in our previous
message, the Ministry of Angels,
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we noted that God
has a particular method
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of governance
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by which He controls
His created universe.
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In the courts of
heaven, of course,
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there's the three
members of the Godhead
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and the four living
creatures and the 24 elders,
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but also there's
10,000 times 10,000 angels
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and the Bible describes them
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as ministering
spirits sent forth to minister
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for those who inherit salvation.
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And we established the concept
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that most everything God
does with rare exception,
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He does through not
His own personal work,
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but through the
agency of created beings
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through the angel
messengers and Jesus prayed
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and taught us to pray
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that we should speak
to our Father and say,
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Your will be done on earth
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as it is in heaven.
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So we need to work
for the Lord on the earth
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in the same way
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the Lord is going about His work
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in the courts above in heaven.
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And that passage reminded me
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of a particular
Spirit of Prophecy statement
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that I wanted to
share with you now,
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you can find it in the
book Christian Service, page 90.
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Speaking of the Lord's Prayer
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and our
responsibility to do the work
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of God here on the earth.
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Mrs. White writes,
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"How can you who
repeat the Lord's Prayer,
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'Thy kingdom come,
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Thy will be done in
earth as it is in heaven,'
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sit at ease in your homes
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without helping to carry
the torch of truth to others?
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How can you lift up
your hands before God
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and ask His blessing upon
yourselves and your families,
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when you are doing so
little to help others?'
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"Clearly the Lord has given
us the three angel's message,
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but what He's looking for now
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are those three
angels' messengers.
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And thus our series
"Equipping the Saints,"
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we want to know
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not just what
God wants us to do,
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but how He wants us
to go about His business
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and by His grace to
hasten His soon return.
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Now we're gonna turn attention
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to our second
message in the series,
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who fed the 5,000?
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But before we begin, as always,
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let's start with
a word of prayer.
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Dear Heavenly
Father, thank You so much
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for the privilege and
joy of being Christians.
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Oh, Lord, help us to
truly be followers of Jesus,
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not just watchers,
but workers with Him.
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And as we study the
method of Christ's ministry,
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help us to learn our lessons
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to be your servant,
your ministering spirits
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that we may enjoy
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the fellowship
of service with You
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and by Your grace see
Jesus come soon and very soon.
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For we pray it in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Let's go to Matthew Chapter 4
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as we begin the message
entitled, "Who fed the 5000?"
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Matthew Chapter 4
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and as you're
working your way there,
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let me pose this almost
too simple of a question,
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but it's one I
wrestled with it a while ago
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and it was this
question right here.
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Why did Jesus have disciples?
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Why did Jesus have disciples?
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You think about it, if
He came to do ministry,
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why did He have
around Him a group of 12 men
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who witnessed His
every move was it...
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And this is what I had
concluded earlier in my life,
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I thought well, He
must have had disciples
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because He needed people
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to be firsthand
witnesses of His work
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because He knew
He was gonna leave
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and He wanted to convey
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the story of His life and death
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and resurrection to
those who would follow.
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And there is an
element of truth to that,
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but what I want you to
see from scripture itself
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is that when Jesus
called His disciples,
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He did not only call them
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to be witnesses of His work.
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Watch in Matthew Chapter 4,
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it says here,
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where is he talking about Jesus
collecting His first disciples.
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It says in verse 18, "And Jesus,
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walking by the Sea of Galilee,
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saw two brothers,
Simon called Peter,
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and Andrew his brother,
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casting a net into the
sea for they were fishermen."
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Then He said to them,
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'Follow Me,'
"and watch closely, "
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and I will make
you fishers of men."
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He did not say,
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"Follow Me and
witness my fishing for men."
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He said, no, no, "Follow me
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and I will make
you fishers of men."
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When the
disciples left their nets,
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which by the way,
the verse says, verse 20,
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"Then immediately they left
their nets and followed him."
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They knew what they
were signing up for,
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they knew what
they were getting into.
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Jesus had made it clear
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what He was calling them
to do is not just to watch,
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but to actually work
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that they were gonna
be trained to do ministry.
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And this is one
of the main points
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that I want to put right
here at the very beginning,
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the foundation idea that
we need to have in our heads,
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that Jesus did not
merely come to do ministry,
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but to train ministers.
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Jesus, of course,
did lots of ministry,
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but that wasn't
His primary purpose.
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Primary purpose was not merely
the accomplishment of ministry,
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but to actually
train up ministers.
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He kept in mind the view
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that someday He would be gone,
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but the church
would have to go forward.
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And if you think about this,
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Jesus entire personal
ministry here on the earth
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only lasted for a short time.
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Basically, He was here
for three and a half years
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doing public ministry.
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He stayed 40 days
after His resurrection
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and a little bit here and there,
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but for the most
part, His job was done
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within three and a half years.
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But He also knew that long
after He ascended into heaven,
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the church that
would be built in His name
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would go forward.
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And so when He called
those first disciples,
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He was telling
them right off the bat
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what He was gonna do,
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"I will make
you fishers of men."
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And from that introduction,
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as you study the life of Jesus
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and the ministry of Jesus,
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you will see this recurring
theme emerge over and over.
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For instance, let's
give it an example of this.
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In John Chapter 3.
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Matthew, Mark,
Luke, then John Chapter 3.
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Let's go to verse 22,
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still towards the
beginning of His ministry.
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It says here,
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"After these things
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Jesus and His disciples
came into the land of Judea,
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and there He remained
with them and baptized."
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Now the way that that
particular sentence is worded,
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it seems like
Jesus did two actions,
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that He remained and baptized.
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Did Jesus did that work?
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Then it adds in verse 23,
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"Now John also was
baptizing in Aenon near Salem,
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because there
was much water there.
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And they came
and were baptized."
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But as you keep
reading the story,
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you know, there was some tension
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between the disciples of
John and disciples of Jesus
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and John humbly says,
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"He must increase
and I must decrease,"
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and it's beautiful.
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But go to the next
chapter John Chapter 4,
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"Therefore, when the Lord knew
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that the Pharisees had heard
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that Jesus made and baptized
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more disciples than John."
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Two times it
certainly seems like Jesus
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was doing all the work.
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He was doing the preaching,
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He was doing the baptizing,
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and that would be the impression
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the disciples were
standing around watching.
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But look at verse 2,
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in parenthesis
the scripture adds,
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(though Jesus Himself
did not baptize, but His)
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whom? (Disciples.)
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So the question
comes, did Jesus baptize?
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Well, yes.
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It was by His authority,
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but the agents who
did the actual labor
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were His disciples
doing the act of baptism.
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Does that make sense, right?
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So Jesus commanded baptism,
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but never
personally baptized anyone.
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He left that to His disciples
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because He was training
them to be fishers of men.
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Go to the... I'm sorry.
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Back to the
Gospel of Luke Chapter 9.
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Luke Chapter 9.
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Again, as we recall that Jesus
only had three and a half years
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of public ministry.
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You would imagine that
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once He called
those disciples to them
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with such a
limited amount of time
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to spend with their master,
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they wouldn't want to
have even one day apart.
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But somehow the
Lord in His wisdom knew
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that would not be best for them.
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So He actually
sent His disciples away.
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Look at Luke 9:1,
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"Then he called the 12..."
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"Then He called His
twelve disciples together
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and gave them power and
authority over all demons,
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and to cure diseases."
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Now up until this point,
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Jesus had been
casting out demons
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and healing diseases,
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but at this point now,
He gives them the authority,
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He delegates
that responsibility.
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Verse 2,
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"He sent them to
preach the kingdom of God
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and to heal the sick.
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And He said to them,
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'Take nothing for the journey,
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neither staffs nor
bag nor bread nor money,
00:10:00.30\00:10:02.66
and do not have
two tunics apiece.'"
00:10:02.70\00:10:04.93
So notice this instruction
00:10:04.97\00:10:06.30
is not just general platitudes
of go and bless people.
00:10:06.33\00:10:09.34
No, He was very specific.
00:10:09.37\00:10:10.87
Here's where you're gonna
go, here's when you're gonna go,
00:10:10.91\00:10:13.11
here's what you're
gonna take with you,
00:10:13.14\00:10:14.48
who's gonna go with you.
00:10:14.51\00:10:16.95
Verse 4, He continues
His practical instruction,
00:10:16.98\00:10:19.41
"Whatever house you enter,
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stay there, and
from there depart.
00:10:20.82\00:10:23.25
And whoever
will not receive you,
00:10:23.28\00:10:24.92
when you go out of that city,
00:10:24.95\00:10:26.29
shake off the very
dust from your feet
00:10:26.32\00:10:27.76
as a testimony against them."
00:10:27.79\00:10:29.32
So verse 6,"They departed
and went through the towns,
00:10:29.36\00:10:32.39
preaching the gospel
and healing everywhere,"
00:10:32.43\00:10:35.53
which is exactly the ministry
Jesus Himself had been doing.
00:10:35.56\00:10:38.63
He had been going
everywhere, healing diseases
00:10:38.67\00:10:40.60
and preaching the gospel.
00:10:40.64\00:10:41.97
But now at this portion,
00:10:42.00\00:10:43.51
He says, "Now wait,
00:10:43.54\00:10:44.87
I want you to go do it."
00:10:44.91\00:10:46.94
And He sends them out,
00:10:46.98\00:10:48.31
and He gives them
intensely practical instruction.
00:10:48.34\00:10:50.28
Again, about what
to take with them,
00:10:50.31\00:10:51.65
about where to go,
00:10:51.68\00:10:53.01
about who will
be their companions,
00:10:53.05\00:10:54.38
all of this?
00:10:54.42\00:10:55.75
He's intensely practical.
00:10:55.78\00:10:58.32
In fact, go to Luke 10:1,
00:10:58.35\00:11:00.62
we see that Jesus does it again
00:11:00.66\00:11:02.26
with an even
broader group of people.
00:11:02.29\00:11:05.19
Luke 10:1,
00:11:05.23\00:11:07.00
"After these things
00:11:07.03\00:11:08.36
the Lord also
appointed seventy others also,
00:11:08.40\00:11:11.60
and sent them two by two
00:11:11.63\00:11:13.77
before His face into every city
00:11:13.80\00:11:16.91
where He Himself
was about to go."
00:11:16.94\00:11:20.34
So now he... After
He sends out the 12,
00:11:20.38\00:11:22.91
now He sends out
an even larger group
00:11:22.94\00:11:24.51
of the 70,
00:11:24.55\00:11:26.55
which you put the two together,
00:11:26.58\00:11:27.92
that's 82 people
00:11:27.95\00:11:29.28
He has sent out in mission work.
00:11:29.32\00:11:30.75
And notice
where He sends the 70?
00:11:30.79\00:11:33.56
Everywhere where He
Himself is about to go.
00:11:33.59\00:11:38.26
Now, friends, let's think.
00:11:38.29\00:11:39.93
By the way, I'm
trying to get out
00:11:39.96\00:11:41.30
of my vocabulary, empty phrases,
00:11:41.33\00:11:42.66
like let's think logically
00:11:42.70\00:11:44.87
because there is
no other way to think.
00:11:44.90\00:11:47.94
We're built to deduce
truth step by step, logically.
00:11:47.97\00:11:53.04
So let's think about this
00:11:53.07\00:11:55.84
in a logical manner.
00:11:55.88\00:11:59.35
Why would Jesus sent
00:11:59.38\00:12:00.92
70 disciples,
00:12:00.95\00:12:05.52
70 followers of His 70 trainees
00:12:05.55\00:12:10.13
out to go do
ministry to the very places
00:12:10.16\00:12:13.76
where He Himself is about to go?
00:12:13.80\00:12:17.20
Wouldn't it have been simpler
just to have them tag along
00:12:17.23\00:12:19.87
because He's going there anyway
00:12:19.90\00:12:22.47
and do the ministry,
00:12:22.50\00:12:23.91
watch them, have
them witness His ministry.
00:12:23.94\00:12:27.21
Of course, it would have been.
00:12:27.24\00:12:29.11
But He sends
them out ahead of Him,
00:12:29.14\00:12:30.78
so that they
can get the practice
00:12:30.81\00:12:32.15
but then He comes behind
00:12:32.18\00:12:34.12
for what purpose do you think?
00:12:34.15\00:12:36.38
To check on their progress,
00:12:36.42\00:12:37.75
to see how they're doing,
00:12:37.79\00:12:39.12
to right any wrongs,
to correct any errors,
00:12:39.15\00:12:40.76
to fix anything
is going on, right?
00:12:40.79\00:12:42.39
So they send out first...
00:12:42.42\00:12:44.03
He sends them out first,
00:12:44.06\00:12:45.39
and then He
follows up with them.
00:12:45.43\00:12:47.50
Basically, for all
intents and purposes,
00:12:47.53\00:12:49.76
Jesus was a
living training school
00:12:49.80\00:12:53.40
for Christian workers.
00:12:53.44\00:12:55.64
He was a training
seminar day in and day out.
00:12:55.67\00:13:00.11
When people signed
up to follow Jesus,
00:13:00.14\00:13:02.58
they were not gonna be watchers,
00:13:02.61\00:13:04.31
they were gonna be workers.
00:13:04.35\00:13:06.11
He was gonna make
them fishers of men.
00:13:06.15\00:13:10.32
And why did He do this?
00:13:10.35\00:13:12.55
Why was this His
method of ministry?
00:13:12.59\00:13:15.79
Well, He explains it
in the very next verse.
00:13:15.82\00:13:19.36
Luke Chapter 10,
now look at verse 2,
00:13:19.39\00:13:22.46
"Then He said to them,
00:13:22.50\00:13:24.07
'The harvest truly is great,
00:13:24.10\00:13:29.00
but the laborers are," what?
00:13:29.04\00:13:31.67
"Few.'"
00:13:31.71\00:13:34.08
He said, I'm only one,
00:13:34.11\00:13:35.44
the disciples of
mine are only 12,
00:13:35.48\00:13:36.85
and you all are only 70,
00:13:36.88\00:13:38.31
but there's a vast
harvest field beyond.
00:13:38.35\00:13:44.22
And so what is the
resolution to this problem?
00:13:44.25\00:13:46.59
We've got so much
work and so few workers.
00:13:46.62\00:13:49.79
Notice what He says,
00:13:49.82\00:13:52.59
"But the laborers are few,
00:13:52.63\00:13:54.06
therefore pray the
Lord of the harvest
00:13:54.10\00:13:57.30
to slow down the harvest."
00:13:57.33\00:14:00.24
Is that what He says?
00:14:00.27\00:14:01.80
No.
00:14:01.84\00:14:03.17
He's not asking for
the work to decrease,
00:14:03.20\00:14:05.91
He's looking for
the workers to increase,
00:14:05.94\00:14:07.94
right?
00:14:07.98\00:14:09.31
"Therefore pray
the Lord of the harvest
00:14:09.34\00:14:11.61
to send out
laborers into His harvest."
00:14:11.65\00:14:15.25
Christ was a minister
and He got 12 around Him
00:14:15.28\00:14:18.15
and trained them
and sends them out.
00:14:18.19\00:14:19.52
Then He had 70
others and sent them out
00:14:19.55\00:14:21.46
because he's look,
the harvest is great,
00:14:21.49\00:14:23.93
but the laborers are few.
00:14:23.96\00:14:25.63
By the way, speaking of
this Luke 9 and Luke 10,
00:14:29.30\00:14:31.93
Jesus sending out
of the 12 and the 70.
00:14:31.97\00:14:34.70
Mrs. White comments in
Acts of the Apostles, page 32,
00:14:34.74\00:14:38.97
and I want you
to listen carefully,
00:14:39.01\00:14:40.88
"In all His work,"
how much of his work?
00:14:40.91\00:14:44.28
All of it.
00:14:44.31\00:14:45.65
"In all His work,
00:14:45.68\00:14:47.52
He was training them
for individual labor,
00:14:47.55\00:14:53.02
to be extended as
their numbers increased,
00:14:53.05\00:14:56.99
and eventually to
reach to the uttermost parts
00:14:57.03\00:14:59.96
of the earth."
00:15:00.00\00:15:01.33
Think about that.
00:15:01.36\00:15:02.80
Sometimes we think, well,
why did Jesus do it this way?
00:15:02.83\00:15:05.47
Well, they were just a
really small band of people
00:15:05.50\00:15:08.27
a little scrappy insurgency,
00:15:08.30\00:15:09.80
so every man had to play a part.
00:15:09.84\00:15:11.34
If you've ever
been in a local church,
00:15:11.37\00:15:13.14
all the reason this
person has this responsibilities
00:15:13.17\00:15:15.21
because we only have
so many people, right?
00:15:15.24\00:15:17.15
But when you get
into a bigger church,
00:15:17.18\00:15:18.55
you can think,
well, don't worry,
00:15:18.58\00:15:19.91
there's someone
who will do that,
00:15:19.95\00:15:21.28
and there's someone
else who will do that,
00:15:21.32\00:15:22.65
and there's someone
else and the bigger it gets,
00:15:22.68\00:15:24.02
the less responsibility
you personally have.
00:15:24.05\00:15:27.92
Christ went the other way,
00:15:27.96\00:15:29.46
He came down here to model
ministry in His own person,
00:15:29.49\00:15:32.26
and then train the
12 for individual labor
00:15:32.29\00:15:36.16
and then train those 70
for further individual labor,
00:15:36.20\00:15:39.63
so that every part does it share
00:15:39.67\00:15:42.64
in the body of Christ.
00:15:42.67\00:15:44.74
And notice, she says,
00:15:44.77\00:15:46.11
if this was to be extended
as their numbers increased.
00:15:46.14\00:15:50.85
Friends, Christ had a
model of ministry in mind
00:15:50.88\00:15:53.75
where every
member was a missionary.
00:15:53.78\00:15:57.95
Every single part
of the body of Christ
00:15:57.99\00:16:00.96
was an active
functioning outreach for Christ,
00:16:00.99\00:16:06.59
eventually to reach
00:16:06.63\00:16:07.96
to the uttermost
parts of the earth.
00:16:08.00\00:16:10.20
Individual work
00:16:10.23\00:16:13.00
by individual people,
00:16:13.03\00:16:14.64
by individuals
00:16:14.67\00:16:16.00
was not supposed to
be only a stopgap measure
00:16:16.04\00:16:20.11
until the church
grew large enough
00:16:20.14\00:16:22.14
to establish
mammoth institutions.
00:16:22.18\00:16:24.71
Oh, now that we are
big and established,
00:16:24.75\00:16:27.42
now that we have
a printing press,
00:16:27.45\00:16:28.78
now that we have a hospital,
00:16:28.82\00:16:30.15
now that we have a school,
00:16:30.19\00:16:31.52
now that we have a large church.
00:16:31.55\00:16:33.39
Good, now I can just pray
for those workers over there.
00:16:33.42\00:16:38.76
It was never
supposed to be that way.
00:16:38.79\00:16:42.50
The intent was that every
individual will do their work
00:16:42.53\00:16:45.83
as a disciple of Jesus Christ
00:16:45.87\00:16:48.50
and that would continue
as new disciples were made.
00:16:48.54\00:16:54.24
We'll come back to
that institutional framework
00:16:54.28\00:16:57.08
later on in this series.
00:16:57.11\00:16:59.01
Just a little teaser
there, it's gonna be a good one.
00:16:59.05\00:17:02.85
But let's look
at another example
00:17:02.88\00:17:04.22
in the ministry of Jesus,
00:17:04.25\00:17:05.59
how He modeled
this training ministry.
00:17:05.62\00:17:07.69
Go to John Chapter 11.
00:17:07.72\00:17:11.43
If you're already in
Luke, just go to the right
00:17:11.46\00:17:12.93
to the Gospel
of John Chapter 11,
00:17:12.96\00:17:15.56
and here we read
the story of the death
00:17:15.60\00:17:17.53
and resurrection of Lazarus.
00:17:17.57\00:17:19.33
Now, we're gonna
take just a minute
00:17:23.37\00:17:25.67
and look at the story
a little bit more entail,
00:17:25.71\00:17:28.18
but clearly Jesus
had a plan in mind
00:17:28.21\00:17:33.18
when this
situation with Lazarus arose.
00:17:33.21\00:17:37.35
For instance, it
says here, verse 1,
00:17:37.39\00:17:40.99
"Now a certain man was sick,
00:17:41.02\00:17:42.36
Lazarus of Bethany,
00:17:42.39\00:17:43.73
the town of Mary
and her sister, Martha.
00:17:43.76\00:17:45.46
It was that Mary who anointed
the Lord with fragrant oil
00:17:45.49\00:17:49.10
and wiped his
feet with her hair,
00:17:49.13\00:17:50.80
whose brother Lazarus was sick.
00:17:50.83\00:17:52.93
Therefore the sister
sent him saying, Lord, behold,
00:17:52.97\00:17:55.94
he whom You love is sick."
00:17:55.97\00:17:58.41
So because they had a
close relationship with Jesus,
00:17:58.44\00:18:00.61
they felt comfortable with Him
00:18:00.64\00:18:01.98
and they appealed to
Him on a personal level.
00:18:02.01\00:18:03.41
Lord, "You love
him and he is sick."
00:18:03.45\00:18:05.68
The implication being
he's sick and you can help.
00:18:05.71\00:18:10.29
Right?
00:18:10.32\00:18:11.65
Verse 4,
00:18:11.69\00:18:13.02
"When Jesus heard that,
00:18:13.05\00:18:14.39
He said, this
sickness is not unto death,
00:18:14.42\00:18:16.69
but for the glory of God,
00:18:16.73\00:18:18.06
that the Son of God
might be glorified through it."
00:18:18.09\00:18:20.40
And if you heard that comment,
you're like, oh, well, good.
00:18:20.43\00:18:22.83
He's not going to die.
00:18:22.86\00:18:25.33
No, Christ, just said,
00:18:25.37\00:18:26.70
it wasn't going to end in death,
00:18:26.74\00:18:29.44
but He saw this
as an opportunity
00:18:29.47\00:18:31.64
to glorify God.
00:18:31.67\00:18:33.38
Now, let's keep reading verse 5.
00:18:33.41\00:18:34.94
Now Jesus...
00:18:34.98\00:18:36.31
And watch how oddly
constructed these sentences are.
00:18:36.34\00:18:38.55
It's almost funny.
00:18:38.58\00:18:40.12
Look at verse 5.
00:18:40.15\00:18:41.48
"Now Jesus loved Martha,
00:18:41.52\00:18:43.79
and her sister, and Lazarus."
00:18:43.82\00:18:46.35
So, comma...
00:18:46.39\00:18:49.89
Now whatever is gonna come next
00:18:49.92\00:18:52.69
is big out of a
motive of love, right?
00:18:52.73\00:18:55.83
It specifically
says He loved Martha,
00:18:55.86\00:18:57.43
He loved Mary, He loved Lazarus,
00:18:57.47\00:18:59.40
therefore so, what did he do?
00:18:59.43\00:19:02.77
"When He heard that he was sick,
00:19:02.80\00:19:04.44
He stayed two more days
in the place where He was."
00:19:04.47\00:19:09.04
Because He loved them so much,
00:19:09.08\00:19:12.58
He purposefully stayed away.
00:19:12.61\00:19:16.22
That's weird.
00:19:16.25\00:19:18.55
But Jesus has a plan.
00:19:18.59\00:19:20.66
Let's keep reading.
00:19:20.69\00:19:23.36
Then after this, He
said to His disciples,
00:19:23.39\00:19:25.86
let us go to Judea again.
00:19:25.89\00:19:27.30
So He purposely
holds off two more days
00:19:27.33\00:19:31.10
and just kind of waits.
00:19:31.13\00:19:32.53
And, of course, the
disciples didn't understand this
00:19:35.80\00:19:37.84
and the Lord tries
to explain it to them.
00:19:37.87\00:19:39.74
When He said that our
friend Lazarus sleeps, right?
00:19:39.77\00:19:42.31
That means that he has died.
00:19:42.34\00:19:44.15
But look at verse 12,
00:19:44.18\00:19:45.51
"His disciples said, 'Lord,
if he sleeps he will get well.'
00:19:45.55\00:19:47.82
However, Jesus
spoke of his death,
00:19:47.85\00:19:50.35
but they thought
that He was speaking
00:19:50.39\00:19:51.72
about taking rest in sleep."
00:19:51.75\00:19:53.25
Verse 14,
another weird sentence,
00:19:53.29\00:19:55.52
"Then Jesus
said to them plainly,
00:19:55.56\00:19:57.29
'Lazarus is dead.'"
00:19:57.33\00:20:00.30
Verse 15, "And I am," what?
00:20:00.33\00:20:04.53
"Glad."
00:20:04.57\00:20:06.47
What?
00:20:06.50\00:20:08.10
Because He loved him
so much, He stayed away.
00:20:08.14\00:20:11.77
And now it
says, Lazarus is dead,
00:20:11.81\00:20:14.44
and I am glad.
00:20:14.48\00:20:16.44
He's dead and I'm happy.
00:20:16.48\00:20:19.51
What in the world?
00:20:19.55\00:20:21.58
Is He glad for Lazarus's sake
that he's experienced death?
00:20:21.62\00:20:25.95
No, look at the text
again, He says why He's glad?
00:20:25.99\00:20:28.96
"And I am glad for your sakes
00:20:28.99\00:20:32.56
that I was not there,
00:20:32.59\00:20:36.30
that you may," what?
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.47
"Believe,
00:20:38.50\00:20:41.10
nevertheless let us go to him."
00:20:41.14\00:20:43.61
Now apparently
they believed Him enough
00:20:43.64\00:20:47.18
to be following
Him already, right?
00:20:47.21\00:20:50.35
And they would have
been working for Him,
00:20:50.38\00:20:52.08
they've been baptizing with Him,
00:20:52.11\00:20:53.45
they've been
witnessing all that He's done,
00:20:53.48\00:20:54.82
they've obeyed His command,
00:20:54.85\00:20:56.18
so what do they
still not believe?
00:20:56.22\00:20:58.59
Well, for instance,
00:20:58.62\00:20:59.95
did they believe that
if Jesus had shown up,
00:20:59.99\00:21:01.82
He could have healed Lazarus?
00:21:01.86\00:21:03.46
Yes, that's why
they were antsy to go.
00:21:03.49\00:21:07.13
But Jesus said, you know what?
00:21:07.16\00:21:08.93
"We've done sick
before. Let's let him die."
00:21:08.96\00:21:13.50
And Lazarus dies and Jesus said,
00:21:13.54\00:21:14.97
"All right now, good.
00:21:15.00\00:21:17.61
Now let's go."
00:21:17.64\00:21:21.14
And by the way,
00:21:21.18\00:21:23.04
Thomas
00:21:23.08\00:21:24.41
must have been just a ray
of sunshine to have around.
00:21:24.45\00:21:26.08
Look at verse 16,
00:21:26.11\00:21:27.45
"Then Thomas, who
is called the Twin,
00:21:27.48\00:21:28.92
said to his fellow disciples,
00:21:28.95\00:21:30.69
'Let us also go, that
we may die with Him.'"
00:21:30.72\00:21:35.09
I'm sure he was
on the subcommittee
00:21:35.12\00:21:36.69
for morale you know.
00:21:36.73\00:21:39.63
Anyway, verse 17,
"So when Jesus came,
00:21:39.66\00:21:42.76
He found that he had already
been in the tomb four days.
00:21:42.80\00:21:47.14
Now Bethany was near
Jerusalem, about two miles away.
00:21:47.17\00:21:49.40
And many of the
Jews had joined the women
00:21:49.44\00:21:50.91
around Martha and
Mary, to comfort them
00:21:50.94\00:21:52.54
concerning their brother."
00:21:52.57\00:21:53.91
Verse 20, "Now
Martha, as soon as she heard
00:21:53.94\00:21:56.85
that Jesus was
coming, went and met Him,
00:21:56.88\00:21:58.71
but Mary was
sitting in the house."
00:21:58.75\00:22:00.35
Verse 21, "Now
Martha said to Jesus,
00:22:00.38\00:22:02.38
'Lord, if You had been here,
00:22:02.42\00:22:05.62
my brother
would not have died.'"
00:22:05.65\00:22:09.06
Notice she does not equivocate,
00:22:09.09\00:22:10.43
she said he might not have died.
00:22:10.46\00:22:12.06
There's a hope You
could have helped him.
00:22:12.09\00:22:13.66
She says he would not have died.
00:22:13.70\00:22:18.83
Friends, does Martha believe
that Jesus can heal the sick?
00:22:18.87\00:22:22.84
Yes.
00:22:22.87\00:22:24.47
Did the disciples
believe Jesus can heal the sick?
00:22:24.51\00:22:27.01
Yes.
00:22:27.04\00:22:29.61
But watch what
she continues to say,
00:22:29.64\00:22:32.71
"Lord, if you had been here,
00:22:32.75\00:22:34.08
my brother would not have died.
00:22:34.12\00:22:35.48
But even now
00:22:35.52\00:22:38.69
I know that
whatever You ask of God,
00:22:38.72\00:22:41.39
God will give You."
00:22:41.42\00:22:44.33
Do you notice that there
seems to be a split in her mind?
00:22:44.36\00:22:47.23
There's the Jesus level things
00:22:47.26\00:22:48.66
that He can do without having
to check in with the Father.
00:22:48.70\00:22:51.40
But the big things
you're gonna have to,
00:22:51.43\00:22:54.30
God will do that.
00:22:54.34\00:22:57.77
Apparently they
had a striated view
00:22:57.81\00:23:00.94
of Christ's abilities.
00:23:00.98\00:23:03.24
That He can do, you know,
00:23:03.28\00:23:05.41
the little things water wine,
00:23:05.45\00:23:08.35
blind to see, okay.
00:23:08.38\00:23:10.55
But once some...
00:23:10.59\00:23:11.92
They had this view that once
someone went beyond the grave,
00:23:11.95\00:23:14.42
they went into
the grave to death.
00:23:14.46\00:23:18.29
Well, Jesus
couldn't do that one,
00:23:18.33\00:23:19.66
only God could do that.
00:23:19.69\00:23:21.03
Look at how
plainly Jesus speaks.
00:23:25.03\00:23:28.07
Verse 23, "Jesus said to her,
00:23:28.10\00:23:29.87
'Your brother will rise again.'
00:23:29.90\00:23:33.07
Martha said to him,
00:23:33.11\00:23:34.44
"I know that he will rise again
in the resurrection," when?
00:23:34.48\00:23:38.18
"At the last day."
00:23:38.21\00:23:40.68
Well, I believe
in the resurrection.
00:23:40.72\00:23:42.28
You know,
00:23:42.32\00:23:43.75
the big one at
the end that God does.
00:23:43.79\00:23:48.22
And Jesus said
to her in verse 25,
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.33
"I am the
resurrection and the life."
00:23:50.36\00:23:54.73
You know, sometimes I
think that Jesus was always calm
00:23:54.76\00:23:56.97
and placid and maybe
otherworldly kind of spacey
00:23:57.00\00:23:59.27
when He said these things.
00:23:59.30\00:24:00.64
I think He genuinely had
some emotion in His voice
00:24:00.67\00:24:03.14
when He said,
00:24:03.17\00:24:05.34
'I am...'
00:24:05.37\00:24:07.04
Who do you think is gonna
be coming at the last day?
00:24:07.08\00:24:09.44
That's Me.
00:24:09.48\00:24:11.65
It's the same Me
now as it will be then.
00:24:11.68\00:24:15.22
I am the resurrection,
like He who believes in Me,
00:24:15.25\00:24:18.15
though he may die he shall live.
00:24:18.19\00:24:22.66
This is frustrating.
00:24:22.69\00:24:24.66
By the way, let's skip over now
00:24:24.69\00:24:27.30
verse 32,
00:24:27.33\00:24:28.66
"Then, when Mary came
where Jesus was, and saw Him,
00:24:28.70\00:24:31.00
she fell down at His feet,
00:24:31.03\00:24:32.37
saying to Him,
'Lord, if You had been here,
00:24:32.40\00:24:34.57
my brother
would not have died.'"
00:24:34.60\00:24:36.04
Word for word, the same lament
00:24:36.07\00:24:37.77
that Martha had shared.
00:24:37.81\00:24:40.31
So far, we have the disciples,
we have Martha, we have Mary,
00:24:40.34\00:24:43.58
all believing that
Jesus can heal the sick.
00:24:43.61\00:24:47.05
But now that he's died,
they're completely undone.
00:24:47.08\00:24:50.69
In fact,
00:24:50.72\00:24:52.82
verse 37, look at
the on looking crowd.
00:24:52.85\00:24:56.26
"And some of them said,
00:24:56.29\00:24:57.66
'Could not this Man,
00:24:57.69\00:24:59.46
who opened the
eyes of the blind,
00:24:59.49\00:25:01.50
also have kept
this man from dying?'"
00:25:01.53\00:25:06.80
The crowd, Martha, Mary,
00:25:06.84\00:25:09.87
His own disciples,
00:25:09.90\00:25:11.24
they all believe in His
ability to heal the sick
00:25:11.27\00:25:15.28
and prevent death.
00:25:15.31\00:25:18.48
But none of them
had the idea in mind
00:25:18.51\00:25:20.45
that He could
actually return life
00:25:20.48\00:25:22.75
and resurrect the dead.
00:25:22.78\00:25:25.99
This is what they
needed to believe.
00:25:26.02\00:25:28.49
Then, verse 38,
00:25:28.52\00:25:31.83
"Then Jesus, again
groaning in Himself
00:25:31.86\00:25:34.76
came to the tomb.
00:25:34.80\00:25:37.17
It was a cave, and a
stone lay against it."
00:25:37.20\00:25:39.23
Now, let's set the context here,
00:25:39.27\00:25:40.74
I want to be clear about this.
00:25:40.77\00:25:45.31
Everyone there to a person
00:25:45.34\00:25:49.24
believed He had some power,
00:25:49.28\00:25:52.28
but not that kind of power.
00:25:52.31\00:25:54.78
Everyone was
doubting His strength,
00:25:58.39\00:26:01.46
His capacity, His ability,
00:26:01.49\00:26:04.76
His power
00:26:04.79\00:26:06.46
to do this level of work.
00:26:06.49\00:26:11.30
Christ knows that
that's their doubt.
00:26:11.33\00:26:13.07
This is why He
allowed the scenario
00:26:13.10\00:26:14.77
to develop as it does.
00:26:14.80\00:26:16.14
He wanted the
circumstance to arise
00:26:16.17\00:26:18.04
so He can dispel
those doubts, right?
00:26:18.07\00:26:20.28
So they would believe.
00:26:20.31\00:26:22.24
So as He comes to the
grave, and everyone's watching,
00:26:22.28\00:26:27.12
there's an obstacle
in the way, what is it?
00:26:27.15\00:26:29.78
A stone, right?
00:26:29.82\00:26:31.15
It says here
00:26:31.19\00:26:32.52
and a stone lay against it.
00:26:32.55\00:26:34.42
Verse 39, wouldn't it
be powerful, Jesus said,
00:26:34.46\00:26:37.06
and the Bible says,
00:26:37.09\00:26:38.43
and Jesus commanded the stone
00:26:38.46\00:26:39.79
to fly out into space.
00:26:39.83\00:26:42.63
Or He just looked at the stone
00:26:42.66\00:26:44.00
and it crumbled in His presence,
00:26:44.03\00:26:45.53
or He opened the earth
00:26:45.57\00:26:46.90
and it just caved in
under its own weight,
00:26:46.94\00:26:48.57
or He sent fire to the
stone and like it like...
00:26:48.60\00:26:51.64
What does He do?
00:26:51.67\00:26:53.58
He strides up to the tomb...
00:26:53.61\00:26:55.28
and He says,
00:27:00.08\00:27:01.62
"Oh, can
somebody get the big rock?
00:27:01.65\00:27:05.05
It's really big,
can somebody help?"
00:27:05.09\00:27:09.86
And what's the one
thing they're doubting?
00:27:09.89\00:27:11.69
His strength, His
ability, His power
00:27:11.73\00:27:13.60
to do this big thing.
00:27:13.63\00:27:15.06
And He runs into a rock
00:27:15.10\00:27:17.30
and He's like,
00:27:17.33\00:27:18.67
can we get some folks
00:27:18.70\00:27:20.07
to move, roll the thing away?
00:27:20.10\00:27:22.00
I need to...
00:27:22.04\00:27:24.34
And notice the response.
00:27:24.37\00:27:26.24
Martha tries to
save face for Him
00:27:26.27\00:27:28.38
and bail Him out of
this embarrassing situation.
00:27:28.41\00:27:30.35
"Martha, the sister of
him who was dead said to Him,
00:27:30.38\00:27:32.41
'Lord, by this
time there is a stench
00:27:32.45\00:27:34.65
for he has been
dead four days.'"
00:27:34.68\00:27:36.12
It's like, you know...
00:27:36.15\00:27:38.25
We know your
heart's in the right place.
00:27:38.29\00:27:42.62
"Jesus said to her,
00:27:42.66\00:27:43.99
'Did I not say to you,
00:27:44.03\00:27:45.36
that if you would believe
00:27:45.39\00:27:46.73
you would see the glory of God?'
00:27:46.76\00:27:50.70
Then they took away the stone
00:27:50.73\00:27:52.93
from the place where
the dead man was lying.
00:27:52.97\00:27:54.57
And Jesus lifted
up His eyes, and said,
00:27:54.60\00:27:56.20
'Father, I thank You
that you have heard me.
00:27:56.24\00:27:58.61
And I know that
you always hear me
00:27:58.64\00:28:00.81
but because of the people
00:28:00.84\00:28:02.21
who are standing by I said this,
00:28:02.24\00:28:04.35
that they may
believe that You sent me.'
00:28:04.38\00:28:08.05
Now when He had
said these things,
00:28:08.08\00:28:09.48
He cried with a loud voice,
00:28:09.52\00:28:11.22
'Lazarus, come forth.'
00:28:11.25\00:28:14.09
And he who had died came out,
00:28:17.73\00:28:21.20
bound hand and
foot with grave clothes,
00:28:21.23\00:28:24.40
and his face was
wrapped with a cloth.
00:28:24.43\00:28:27.34
And Jesus said
to them, 'Loose him,
00:28:27.37\00:28:30.27
and let him go.'"
00:28:30.31\00:28:31.64
There are several
lessons we can learn from this.
00:28:37.25\00:28:41.42
But I think that
Jesus intended to teach
00:28:41.45\00:28:43.55
two primary lessons that day.
00:28:43.59\00:28:46.15
First of all,
00:28:46.19\00:28:47.56
He wanted them to
understand what He could do.
00:28:47.59\00:28:51.36
But the second
lesson is He wanted them
00:28:54.40\00:28:56.26
to understand
what they should do.
00:28:56.30\00:28:59.13
If Jesus were gonna go to
00:29:02.57\00:29:03.91
all the trouble
of raising the dead
00:29:03.94\00:29:05.37
and do such a powerful evidence
00:29:05.41\00:29:06.98
of divine power,
00:29:07.01\00:29:11.21
why wouldn't He
just move the rock?
00:29:11.25\00:29:14.42
And furthermore,
as Lazarus comes out,
00:29:14.45\00:29:17.35
why wouldn't He just
take, I mean, think about
00:29:17.39\00:29:18.95
as Lazarus is
coming out of the tomb?
00:29:18.99\00:29:21.02
What options for mobility
did this poor brother have?
00:29:21.06\00:29:24.93
It lists the parts of his
body that are bound, right?
00:29:24.96\00:29:27.90
His hands, His feet...
00:29:27.93\00:29:30.23
and it even goes too far to say
00:29:33.30\00:29:34.64
that His face is
wrapped with a cloth.
00:29:34.67\00:29:36.97
So that means his
eyes are covered too,
00:29:37.01\00:29:38.87
his eyes, his hands, his feet,
00:29:38.91\00:29:40.74
and Jesus gives the
command, "Come forth."
00:29:40.78\00:29:44.51
I can almost
imagine him mumbling.
00:29:44.55\00:29:47.02
How?
00:29:47.05\00:29:49.45
What options for
ambulatory movement
00:29:49.48\00:29:51.55
does he have?
00:29:51.59\00:29:53.66
I mean, he could kind of like,
00:29:53.69\00:29:55.29
maybe sideways
shuffle or shimmy,
00:29:55.32\00:29:58.03
you know, out of the
tomb, or maybe he would hop.
00:29:58.06\00:30:02.33
By the way
wouldn't it be tremendous
00:30:02.36\00:30:03.70
if the Bible said
and he who is dead
00:30:03.73\00:30:05.23
hopped forth.
00:30:05.27\00:30:08.24
And I guess the least dignified
of all would be just simply
00:30:08.27\00:30:13.81
fall forward and roll on out
00:30:13.84\00:30:15.91
but somehow he
made it out, right?
00:30:15.94\00:30:18.01
He struggles to get out
00:30:18.05\00:30:19.38
and Jesus says,
00:30:19.41\00:30:20.75
now loose him and let him go.
00:30:20.78\00:30:23.25
If you're gonna raise the dead,
00:30:23.28\00:30:24.72
why don't you just
remove the cloths anyway?
00:30:24.75\00:30:27.46
Why don't you
have a glorious moment
00:30:27.49\00:30:28.96
where he comes
striding out free?
00:30:28.99\00:30:30.73
But He leaves the stone in place
00:30:35.60\00:30:36.93
and says you guys go get it.
00:30:36.97\00:30:38.30
And He leaves the
grave clothes on and said,
00:30:38.33\00:30:39.77
you go help him, why?
00:30:39.80\00:30:41.74
Because He was
trying to teach two lessons,
00:30:41.77\00:30:43.14
number one, here's what I can do
00:30:43.17\00:30:44.57
and here's number
two, what you can do.
00:30:44.61\00:30:48.84
Listen to this,
Desire of Ages, page 535.
00:30:48.88\00:30:52.75
"Take ye away the stone."
00:30:52.78\00:30:54.28
She's gonna
comment on his delegation
00:30:54.32\00:30:56.92
of this responsibility.
00:30:56.95\00:30:58.85
"Take ye away the stone."
00:30:58.89\00:31:00.69
Christ could have
commanded the stone to remove,
00:31:00.72\00:31:03.36
and it would have
obeyed His voice."
00:31:03.39\00:31:05.69
Right? That's an option He had.
00:31:05.73\00:31:08.33
"He could have bidden the angels
00:31:08.36\00:31:10.03
who were closed by
His side to do this..."
00:31:10.07\00:31:13.13
At His bidding, invisible hands
would have removed the stone.
00:31:13.17\00:31:16.60
By the way, that would have been
00:31:16.64\00:31:17.97
a really
interesting way to do it.
00:31:18.01\00:31:19.34
Just have the angels go do it.
00:31:19.37\00:31:20.74
And invisibly, just watch
it just kind of be carried off.
00:31:20.78\00:31:23.95
"But it was to be
taken away by human hands."
00:31:27.12\00:31:30.52
Why?
00:31:30.55\00:31:32.19
"Thus Christ would show
00:31:32.22\00:31:34.39
that humanity is to
co-operate with divinity."
00:31:34.42\00:31:38.33
Now listen to this principle.
00:31:38.36\00:31:39.93
I'm gonna say it twice.
00:31:39.96\00:31:41.30
It's just that important.
00:31:41.33\00:31:42.66
"What human power can do
00:31:42.70\00:31:46.13
divine power is
not summoned to do."
00:31:46.17\00:31:50.71
I'll say it again.
00:31:50.74\00:31:52.07
What human power can do
00:31:52.11\00:31:55.74
divine power is
not summoned to do.
00:31:55.78\00:31:59.05
God does not
dispense with man's aid.
00:32:02.38\00:32:06.82
He strengthens him,
00:32:06.86\00:32:08.69
co-operating with
him as He uses the powers
00:32:08.72\00:32:11.19
and capabilities He's given him.
00:32:11.23\00:32:13.36
So notice this,
00:32:13.40\00:32:14.73
there are things God can do.
00:32:14.76\00:32:16.56
By the way, are
there things God can do?
00:32:16.60\00:32:19.10
Sure.
00:32:19.13\00:32:20.64
But are there
things God won't do?
00:32:20.67\00:32:24.41
Because those are
things He's given you to do.
00:32:24.44\00:32:29.58
What human power can do
00:32:29.61\00:32:31.71
divine power is
not summoned to do.
00:32:31.75\00:32:33.48
Let's think about this
in the work of saving souls
00:32:33.52\00:32:37.59
and giving the three
angels' message to the world.
00:32:37.62\00:32:40.49
Could the Lord Himself
just like He did from Sinai,
00:32:40.52\00:32:43.09
I speak audibly
across all the created sphere
00:32:43.12\00:32:47.10
and give the message Himself?
00:32:47.13\00:32:50.13
Yes.
00:32:50.17\00:32:52.00
Could He send
angels to go do the work?
00:32:52.03\00:32:55.54
Yes.
00:32:55.57\00:32:57.61
But He is
elected not to do that.
00:32:57.64\00:33:00.98
He has given us
and, you know what?
00:33:01.01\00:33:03.65
You have tools and abilities
00:33:03.68\00:33:08.38
to actually work for Jesus.
00:33:08.42\00:33:10.55
You have a voice
that can make words
00:33:10.59\00:33:13.05
and you can interact
with other human beings.
00:33:13.09\00:33:15.59
You have a hand to
reach out and give literature.
00:33:15.62\00:33:19.46
You have eyes to
read and a voice to...
00:33:19.49\00:33:22.16
Maybe people
can't see for themselves
00:33:22.20\00:33:24.20
and you can be their eyes,
00:33:24.23\00:33:25.57
you've got tools
that you can use.
00:33:25.60\00:33:26.94
And sometimes let me just
cut to the chase this way.
00:33:26.97\00:33:29.80
Sometimes I fear
that when we pray
00:33:29.84\00:33:31.87
for the powerful
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:33:31.91\00:33:33.78
and the latter
rain power, right?
00:33:33.81\00:33:36.75
That we don't know
what we're asking for.
00:33:36.78\00:33:40.22
We want the Holy
Spirit to come down
00:33:40.25\00:33:42.15
and do a work in us to
be alive to witness it.
00:33:42.18\00:33:47.56
That's not how it's gonna be.
00:33:47.59\00:33:50.93
God is not gonna do a work
00:33:50.96\00:33:53.50
in front of us.
00:33:53.53\00:33:54.86
He's gonna do a work through us
00:33:54.90\00:33:58.73
in giving the
message to the world.
00:33:58.77\00:34:01.80
What human power can do
00:34:01.84\00:34:03.61
divine power is not summoned
00:34:03.64\00:34:06.24
to do?
00:34:06.27\00:34:07.94
Let's look at another
example from the Gospel of Mark.
00:34:07.98\00:34:11.95
Mark 6:35
00:34:11.98\00:34:17.85
tells the story of
the feeding of the 5,000.
00:34:17.89\00:34:21.49
And you know, they
were all gathered that day
00:34:21.52\00:34:24.26
and multitudes were with Him.
00:34:24.29\00:34:27.23
And it says here in verse 35,
00:34:27.26\00:34:29.86
"When the day was now far spent,
00:34:29.90\00:34:31.23
His disciples
came to Him and said,
00:34:31.27\00:34:33.67
'This is a deserted place,
and already the hour is late.
00:34:33.70\00:34:37.24
Send them away,
00:34:37.27\00:34:38.61
that they may go into
the surrounding country
00:34:38.64\00:34:40.14
and villages and
buy themselves bread,
00:34:40.18\00:34:41.84
for they have nothing to eat.'"
00:34:41.88\00:34:43.71
So notice they
recognize the problem.
00:34:43.75\00:34:45.18
We've got all
these people and no food.
00:34:45.21\00:34:47.75
Our solution is
to send them away
00:34:47.78\00:34:51.02
so they can take
care of themselves.
00:34:51.05\00:34:53.86
But verse 37,
00:34:53.89\00:34:55.22
"He answered and said to them,
00:34:55.26\00:34:56.79
you give them something to eat."
00:34:56.83\00:34:59.76
Jesus saw this as a
training opportunity
00:34:59.79\00:35:02.03
and I'm this close to
thinking He set the thing up.
00:35:02.06\00:35:04.10
I'm guessing He just
went all the way through lunch
00:35:04.13\00:35:06.33
just to set up a
scenario to test their faith.
00:35:06.37\00:35:09.50
He did it with
Lazarus, why not do with bread?
00:35:09.54\00:35:13.27
But he answered and said,
you give them something to eat,
00:35:13.31\00:35:15.54
"and they said to him,
00:35:15.58\00:35:17.05
'Shall we go and buy two
hundred denarii worth of bread
00:35:17.08\00:35:20.28
and give them
something to eat?'"
00:35:20.32\00:35:23.18
By the way, I don't think
00:35:23.22\00:35:24.55
it's ever the wise
course to sass Jesus.
00:35:24.59\00:35:29.89
Sometimes I look at
the scripture count,
00:35:29.92\00:35:31.39
I think, boy, if I
would just shake them,
00:35:31.43\00:35:34.00
you know.
00:35:34.03\00:35:36.40
But they first, oh,
00:35:36.43\00:35:37.77
we're supposed to
have all that money.
00:35:37.80\00:35:39.13
Now we just gonna go
buy food for everybody.
00:35:39.17\00:35:40.54
Look at the simplicity
00:35:43.97\00:35:45.54
and practicality
of Christ's response.
00:35:45.57\00:35:47.71
Verse 36, I'm sorry, verse 38,
00:35:47.74\00:35:50.91
"But He said to them,
00:35:50.95\00:35:52.91
'How many loaves do you have?
00:35:52.95\00:35:55.02
Go and see.'
00:35:55.05\00:35:56.89
He's like, you're
dismissing the whole, idea,
00:35:56.92\00:35:58.52
you're just
jumping to the whole.
00:35:58.55\00:35:59.89
Let's go buy it
without even seeing
00:35:59.92\00:36:01.26
what you have on hand.
00:36:01.29\00:36:02.79
Why don't you go check
and see what we have first
00:36:02.82\00:36:04.99
before you get all panicky
00:36:05.03\00:36:06.36
and start threatening the...?
00:36:06.39\00:36:07.73
Come on.
00:36:07.76\00:36:09.10
What do you have on hand?
00:36:09.13\00:36:12.57
"And when they
found out they said,
00:36:12.60\00:36:14.10
'Five, and two fish.'"
00:36:14.14\00:36:15.50
My guess is that they felt
they were off the hook now.
00:36:15.54\00:36:19.07
Look, we went everywhere,
00:36:19.11\00:36:20.58
we dug to every
hand, every basket
00:36:20.61\00:36:22.14
and you know, we
came up with five
00:36:22.18\00:36:25.51
and two fish.
00:36:25.55\00:36:27.08
Five loaves, two
fish, that's all we've got.
00:36:27.12\00:36:28.88
So I'm guessing they were like,
00:36:28.92\00:36:30.32
you know, see, I told you so.
00:36:30.35\00:36:32.32
But verse 39,
00:36:35.72\00:36:37.36
"Then He commanded them
00:36:37.39\00:36:38.73
to make them all
sit down in groups
00:36:38.76\00:36:40.26
on the green grass."
00:36:40.30\00:36:41.63
Now, maybe your
picture in your head
00:36:41.66\00:36:43.47
is the same as mine used to be.
00:36:43.50\00:36:44.83
But I had this
picture of the 5,000 plus,
00:36:44.87\00:36:47.24
of course, women and children,
00:36:47.27\00:36:48.60
this massive
group of likely 10,000
00:36:48.64\00:36:49.97
or so was just kind of
scattered on a hillside
00:36:50.01\00:36:52.47
and they were
just indiscriminately
00:36:52.51\00:36:53.91
dotting the landscape
00:36:53.94\00:36:55.28
and that Jesus
prayed this prayer
00:36:55.31\00:36:57.61
with these five
loaves and two fishes
00:36:57.65\00:36:58.98
and He handed to the disciples
00:36:59.01\00:37:00.35
and they just
started willy-nilly
00:37:00.38\00:37:01.72
passing it out
to all the people.
00:37:01.75\00:37:03.08
But that is not
what the scripture says.
00:37:03.12\00:37:04.45
Look again at 6:39,
00:37:04.49\00:37:08.12
"Then he commanded them."
00:37:08.16\00:37:11.29
Let's break down the sentence.
00:37:11.33\00:37:12.66
Who is the He in this sentence?
00:37:12.69\00:37:15.10
He is Jesus, right?
00:37:15.13\00:37:16.46
That's capital H,
He commanded them.
00:37:16.50\00:37:19.77
Who's the them?
00:37:19.80\00:37:21.90
It's not the
crowd, it's the disciples.
00:37:21.94\00:37:24.47
Commanded them to make them
00:37:24.51\00:37:27.28
all sit down in
groups on the green grass.
00:37:27.31\00:37:29.78
Now, if Jesus wanted
everyone to sit down,
00:37:29.81\00:37:32.55
what would be the simplest
way to make that happen?
00:37:32.58\00:37:36.92
I mean, aside from
taking out their legs
00:37:36.95\00:37:38.45
and forcing them
to sit, you know,
00:37:38.49\00:37:40.32
what could He have done?
00:37:40.36\00:37:42.26
Is there maybe one voice
00:37:42.29\00:37:43.69
they've been
listening to all day?
00:37:43.73\00:37:46.26
His, right?
00:37:46.29\00:37:47.86
It wouldn't be
simple for Jesus to say,
00:37:47.90\00:37:49.56
everyone sit.
00:37:49.60\00:37:54.54
And all of sudden,
5,000 to 10,000 people going.
00:37:54.57\00:37:58.91
He would have
taken, I don't know,
00:37:58.94\00:38:01.24
four or five seconds,
00:38:01.28\00:38:04.35
but He doesn't do that.
00:38:04.38\00:38:05.71
He turns to
disciples says, all right,
00:38:05.75\00:38:07.88
I've been
talking to them all day.
00:38:07.92\00:38:09.45
Now you go make them sit down.
00:38:09.48\00:38:11.55
And my
imagination likes to think
00:38:14.79\00:38:16.12
of Peter stepping forward.
00:38:16.16\00:38:17.49
He's like, I
got this no problem.
00:38:17.53\00:38:18.86
I know how to do it.
00:38:18.89\00:38:20.23
Hey, everybody, listen.
00:38:20.26\00:38:21.60
Sit but look carefully.
00:38:21.63\00:38:23.83
Sitting down was not
Christ only objective.
00:38:23.87\00:38:26.80
Look again.
00:38:26.84\00:38:28.44
He commanded them to
make them all sit down how?
00:38:28.47\00:38:32.47
In groups on the green grass.
00:38:32.51\00:38:38.31
Now sitting down is one thing,
00:38:38.35\00:38:41.98
but sitting down in groups,
00:38:42.02\00:38:45.45
that takes a little work,
00:38:45.49\00:38:46.86
that takes a
little organization,
00:38:46.89\00:38:48.36
that's gonna take
a minute, isn't it?
00:38:48.39\00:38:51.33
In fact, look at verse 40,
00:38:51.36\00:38:52.99
"So they sat down in ranks."
00:38:53.03\00:38:58.03
That means they were order,
00:38:58.07\00:38:59.40
there's order within the groups,
00:38:59.43\00:39:01.60
in the ranks,
00:39:01.64\00:39:03.04
in hundreds and in fifties."
00:39:03.07\00:39:07.64
How big was the
group to start with?
00:39:07.68\00:39:09.18
At least 5,000 people
00:39:09.21\00:39:13.35
and he wants them to make them
00:39:13.38\00:39:14.78
all sit down in
groups, in order,
00:39:14.82\00:39:19.99
in groups as small
as hundreds and fifties.
00:39:20.02\00:39:24.79
That's gonna take a while.
00:39:24.83\00:39:27.66
If His only goal is to get
them to sit down and be quiet,
00:39:27.70\00:39:30.10
He could have done
that almost instantly,
00:39:30.13\00:39:32.20
without even a
miracle just by the command.
00:39:32.23\00:39:35.70
But He purposely has
the disciples do this work.
00:39:35.74\00:39:40.91
So they sat down in ranks
in hundreds and in fifties.
00:39:40.94\00:39:44.31
It says in verse 41,
00:39:44.35\00:39:45.68
"And when he had
taken the five loaves
00:39:45.71\00:39:47.05
and the two fish,
he looked up to heaven,
00:39:47.08\00:39:48.62
blessed, and broke the loaves,
00:39:48.65\00:39:52.02
and gave them to His disciples
00:39:52.05\00:39:53.56
to set before them.
00:39:53.59\00:39:55.19
And the two fish he
divided among them all."
00:39:55.22\00:39:57.63
So they all ate and were filled.
00:39:57.66\00:40:01.26
So Jesus takes the bread
00:40:01.30\00:40:02.63
and notice neither
in the story of Lazarus
00:40:02.66\00:40:04.27
nor in the story of
the feeding of the 5,000,
00:40:04.30\00:40:05.93
does He delegate the
miracle itself to the disciples.
00:40:05.97\00:40:10.34
He does the divine part,
00:40:10.37\00:40:11.71
but what human power can do
00:40:11.74\00:40:13.58
divine power is
not summoned to do.
00:40:13.61\00:40:15.14
So He organizes
them and He says,
00:40:15.18\00:40:17.08
"All right, now I'm
gonna provide this miracle,
00:40:17.11\00:40:18.98
but we need a
structure in place."
00:40:19.01\00:40:21.62
So He organizes the whole group.
00:40:21.65\00:40:24.39
And as He prays,
00:40:24.42\00:40:26.15
the Lord answers His prayer.
00:40:26.19\00:40:28.46
And the bread is multiplied
given to the disciples,
00:40:28.49\00:40:32.76
but the disciples then
don't just take basketsful
00:40:32.79\00:40:34.86
and go hand them out.
00:40:34.90\00:40:36.73
Why were they in
groups to start with?
00:40:36.77\00:40:39.30
And why were
those groups ordered
00:40:39.33\00:40:41.20
and structured in ranks
00:40:41.24\00:40:44.11
as though you had a first one,
00:40:44.14\00:40:45.47
second one,
third one, fourth one,
00:40:45.51\00:40:49.04
why?
00:40:49.08\00:40:51.75
The disciples did not
go randomly tossing bread.
00:40:51.78\00:40:57.29
They gave to the groups
00:40:57.32\00:40:59.89
and what would the
groups supposed to do?
00:40:59.92\00:41:02.56
Well, let Sister
White help us out.
00:41:02.59\00:41:07.10
Desire of Ages, page 369,
00:41:07.13\00:41:11.03
"In this parable
is wrapped up a deep,
00:41:11.07\00:41:13.57
spiritual lesson
for God's workers.
00:41:13.60\00:41:16.40
Christ," now notice
the chain of command,
00:41:16.44\00:41:18.77
"Christ
received from the Father.
00:41:18.81\00:41:22.14
He imparted to the disciples,
00:41:22.18\00:41:25.38
they imparted to the multitude."
00:41:25.41\00:41:27.75
And then she adds one more step.
00:41:27.78\00:41:30.12
And you think what is
left to add to the step
00:41:30.15\00:41:32.32
the disciples
give to the multitude?
00:41:32.35\00:41:33.72
No, no.
00:41:33.76\00:41:36.19
"And the people to one another."
00:41:36.22\00:41:39.03
So you get the idea.
00:41:42.66\00:41:45.20
Father and the
Son is the first step,
00:41:45.23\00:41:49.87
then Christ to the disciples,
00:41:49.90\00:41:53.27
and then the
disciples give to the multitude,
00:41:53.31\00:41:55.38
but they don't get to every
individual in the multitude,
00:41:55.41\00:41:57.35
they just give to the
leaders of the groups.
00:41:57.38\00:41:59.95
And then the group
leaders have to pass that along
00:41:59.98\00:42:02.25
so that every person is fed.
00:42:02.28\00:42:05.25
So my question
is, who fed the 5,000?
00:42:05.29\00:42:08.12
Was it God the Father?
00:42:12.59\00:42:15.50
Yeah.
00:42:15.53\00:42:16.93
Was it Jesus Christ?
00:42:16.97\00:42:19.23
Yeah.
00:42:19.27\00:42:21.10
Wasn't it the disciples?
00:42:21.14\00:42:23.64
Well, yeah.
00:42:23.67\00:42:26.57
And wasn't it
every individual there
00:42:26.61\00:42:28.54
that day feeding his neighbor?
00:42:28.58\00:42:31.18
Yeah.
00:42:31.21\00:42:34.02
God gets the credit,
00:42:34.05\00:42:35.62
but He works through
an organized structure,
00:42:35.65\00:42:39.59
so that every
part does its share.
00:42:39.62\00:42:43.83
This is a fascinating concept.
00:42:43.86\00:42:49.00
You know what the one
sentence application she makes,
00:42:49.03\00:42:51.37
she says,
00:42:51.40\00:42:52.73
"So all who are
united with Christ
00:42:52.77\00:42:56.94
will receive from
Him the bread of life,
00:42:56.97\00:42:58.84
the heavenly food
00:42:58.87\00:43:00.21
and impart it to others."
00:43:00.24\00:43:02.58
Every one of us
00:43:02.61\00:43:03.95
who has received
the gospel message
00:43:03.98\00:43:06.11
is expected by God
00:43:06.15\00:43:08.38
to share that with someone else.
00:43:08.42\00:43:11.29
God intends that
every member is a missionary
00:43:11.32\00:43:15.92
for Jesus Christ.
00:43:15.96\00:43:18.89
Listen to this,
00:43:18.93\00:43:20.26
Signs of the
Times, January 22, 1902,
00:43:20.30\00:43:24.03
"None can keep His law
00:43:24.07\00:43:26.94
without ministering to others."
00:43:26.97\00:43:31.01
Think about that.
00:43:31.04\00:43:32.37
Is it possible you
can turn a faithful tithe
00:43:32.41\00:43:33.88
and keep the Seventh-day Sabbath
00:43:33.91\00:43:35.24
and honor your
parents and not kill,
00:43:35.28\00:43:36.61
and not steal, and not...
00:43:36.64\00:43:39.05
And keep all of the law
00:43:39.08\00:43:40.45
and still come short
of God's expectation?
00:43:40.48\00:43:42.88
Yes.
00:43:42.92\00:43:44.92
"None can keep His law
without ministering to others.
00:43:44.95\00:43:48.76
Happiness is the
gift of God to him
00:43:51.79\00:43:55.00
who in the Spirit of Christ,
toils for the good of others."
00:43:55.03\00:43:59.93
If you want to be, you
know, two little things,
00:43:59.97\00:44:02.07
saved and happy.
00:44:02.10\00:44:04.97
It comes from doing the
work of ministering to others.
00:44:05.01\00:44:09.94
Let me tell you
something, friends,
00:44:09.98\00:44:11.41
oftentimes in
the Christian church
00:44:11.45\00:44:12.85
and even inside the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:44:12.88\00:44:15.25
we are rich with a message
00:44:15.28\00:44:16.62
and we receive and
receive and receive.
00:44:16.65\00:44:19.15
But we're very little
emphasizing the obligation,
00:44:19.19\00:44:22.49
the responsibility,
00:44:22.52\00:44:23.86
and the joy of giving to others.
00:44:23.89\00:44:27.00
But this isn't eat
just as much as we receive
00:44:27.03\00:44:29.26
we're supposed to give.
00:44:29.30\00:44:32.23
Now...
00:44:32.27\00:44:33.60
John Chapter 17,
00:44:38.57\00:44:41.28
Jesus praise to His Father.
00:44:41.31\00:44:44.91
This is truly the Lord's Prayer,
00:44:48.18\00:44:49.98
the rest was our prayer
like the model prayer for us.
00:44:50.02\00:44:52.55
But here Jesus is
having a conversation in prayer
00:44:52.59\00:44:54.99
with His heavenly Father.
00:44:55.02\00:44:57.26
And in the first five
verses, He prays for Himself,
00:44:57.29\00:45:01.76
and then in
verses six and onwards,
00:45:01.80\00:45:03.53
He prays for His disciples.
00:45:03.57\00:45:06.57
But I want to
draw your attention
00:45:06.60\00:45:07.94
specifically to
verses 18 through 20.
00:45:07.97\00:45:11.01
Notice what Jesus says,
00:45:11.04\00:45:13.24
"As you sent Me into the world,
00:45:13.27\00:45:17.58
I also have sent
them into the world."
00:45:17.61\00:45:22.08
Right, Jesus sent out the 12,
00:45:22.12\00:45:23.45
He sent out the 70,
00:45:23.49\00:45:24.82
now He's gonna send
them on the Great Commission.
00:45:24.85\00:45:26.25
He has this sending idea
00:45:26.29\00:45:27.66
and where did He get it from?
00:45:27.69\00:45:29.02
From God sending of His
Son, Jesus Christ Himself.
00:45:29.06\00:45:32.89
He said the same
way that You sent Me,
00:45:32.93\00:45:34.80
I have sent them.
00:45:34.83\00:45:37.67
Verse 19,
00:45:37.70\00:45:39.03
"And for their
sakes I sanctify Myself,
00:45:39.07\00:45:41.00
they also may be
sanctified by the truth."
00:45:41.04\00:45:42.97
And then He adds in verse 20,
00:45:43.00\00:45:44.74
"I do not pray for these alone,
00:45:44.77\00:45:49.14
but also for those
who will believe in Me
00:45:49.18\00:45:51.88
through their word."
00:45:51.91\00:45:54.12
Notice that Christ is
expecting a chain of command.
00:45:54.15\00:45:57.32
God sent me, I
send the disciples,
00:45:57.35\00:45:59.75
the disciples go out
00:45:59.79\00:46:01.12
and other people are
gonna hear this message
00:46:01.16\00:46:02.49
and they're gonna go out too.
00:46:02.52\00:46:03.86
It's the same model
00:46:03.89\00:46:05.23
that He set up in Mark Chapter 6
00:46:05.26\00:46:07.03
with the feeding of the 5,000.
00:46:07.06\00:46:08.40
He said, this is how the
gospel is gonna go to the world.
00:46:08.43\00:46:13.44
So when Jesus in
Matthew Chapter 28
00:46:13.47\00:46:15.30
gives the Great Commission.
00:46:15.34\00:46:19.17
And He says in verse 18,
00:46:19.21\00:46:20.61
"All authority
has been given to Me
00:46:20.64\00:46:22.31
in heaven and on earth.
00:46:22.34\00:46:23.68
Go therefore, and make
disciples of all nations,
00:46:23.71\00:46:26.85
baptizing in the
name of the Father,
00:46:26.88\00:46:28.38
and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit,
00:46:28.42\00:46:29.95
teaching them to
observe all things
00:46:29.98\00:46:31.65
that I have
commanded you And lo,
00:46:31.69\00:46:33.02
I am with you always,
even to the end of the age."
00:46:33.05\00:46:35.16
When He says, go to
the ends of the earth.
00:46:35.19\00:46:37.09
He didn't just mean,
you 12 are My only ones.
00:46:37.13\00:46:40.20
Now you go.
00:46:40.23\00:46:42.33
Jesus modeled not only ministry,
00:46:42.36\00:46:44.57
but the training of ministers.
00:46:44.60\00:46:47.17
And He says, "Now
you do the same thing.
00:46:47.20\00:46:50.61
Go and cover the whole world
00:46:50.64\00:46:52.57
the same way I began to work,
00:46:52.61\00:46:54.94
you continue the work."
00:46:54.98\00:46:58.38
So we go to the Book of Acts.
00:46:58.41\00:46:59.78
How do they understand
and apply that teaching.
00:46:59.81\00:47:02.15
Acts Chapter 2.
00:47:02.18\00:47:04.59
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
00:47:04.62\00:47:05.95
and Acts Chapter 2,
00:47:05.99\00:47:07.42
we have the beginning
of the Christian church
00:47:07.46\00:47:10.96
with Jesus ascended into heaven.
00:47:10.99\00:47:14.63
The power of the
Holy Spirit is poured out.
00:47:14.66\00:47:17.73
The ability to communicate
00:47:17.77\00:47:19.17
in others tongues is
given to the disciples,
00:47:19.20\00:47:21.97
and Peter stands up
00:47:22.00\00:47:23.34
and he preaches
a powerful sermon.
00:47:23.37\00:47:25.94
By the way, we're not
getting into this now,
00:47:25.97\00:47:27.31
but you look at the things
00:47:27.34\00:47:28.68
we typically call
Pentecostal these days.
00:47:28.71\00:47:31.35
Whether it's loud music
00:47:31.38\00:47:32.98
and whether it's you
know, faith, healings,
00:47:33.01\00:47:34.92
and whether it's speaking
in unintelligible tongues
00:47:34.95\00:47:37.22
and all of that kind of stuff.
00:47:37.25\00:47:39.02
Not one bit of that
was actually occurring
00:47:39.05\00:47:41.52
on the day of Pentecost.
00:47:41.56\00:47:44.33
There's no
mention of music at all.
00:47:44.36\00:47:45.79
No, I'm not against music,
00:47:45.83\00:47:47.16
but there's
nothing in that passage
00:47:47.20\00:47:48.53
about music that happened
on the day of Pentecost,
00:47:48.56\00:47:49.93
nothing.
00:47:49.96\00:47:52.10
Also, there's no faith healing.
00:47:52.13\00:47:53.97
I have no problem with
Jesus being a powerful healer
00:47:54.00\00:47:56.10
and the great physician
and we can pray by faith
00:47:56.14\00:47:58.21
but that was not a
powerful demonstration
00:47:58.24\00:47:59.91
that people were
just falling out dead,
00:47:59.94\00:48:02.28
healed, slain in the
spirit, that wasn't there.
00:48:02.31\00:48:05.91
Also,
00:48:05.95\00:48:07.98
that whole speaking in tongues
00:48:08.02\00:48:09.65
was not so arresting to people
00:48:09.68\00:48:12.32
because they
could not understand
00:48:12.35\00:48:13.69
what they were saying.
00:48:13.72\00:48:15.06
They were interested
00:48:15.09\00:48:16.42
because they could understand
00:48:16.46\00:48:17.79
what they were saying.
00:48:17.83\00:48:19.16
In fact, it's the
exact opposite of everything
00:48:19.19\00:48:21.06
we typically call Pentecostal.
00:48:21.10\00:48:23.23
And Peter stands up
and he preaches a sermon,
00:48:23.26\00:48:25.23
not about his own
opinions, and not just emotion,
00:48:25.27\00:48:27.40
and not just all kind
of shouting and screaming.
00:48:27.44\00:48:28.97
He preaches a Bible
based present truth message,
00:48:29.00\00:48:32.17
it's 26 verses long,
00:48:32.21\00:48:34.08
13 verses are direct
quotes from scripture,
00:48:34.11\00:48:37.65
11 verses are
explanation of those scriptures
00:48:37.68\00:48:41.18
and 2 verses are the appeal.
00:48:41.22\00:48:43.62
And let me tell you something,
00:48:43.65\00:48:44.99
Peter preached,
he preached straight.
00:48:45.02\00:48:46.79
Look at verse 36.
00:48:46.82\00:48:48.92
He preaches "Therefore
00:48:48.96\00:48:51.26
let all the house of
Israel know assuredly,
00:48:51.29\00:48:54.26
that God has made this Jesus,
00:48:54.30\00:48:56.23
whom you crucified,
00:48:56.26\00:48:58.90
both Lord and Christ."
00:48:58.93\00:49:01.47
Got to remember,
this is the same crowd
00:49:01.50\00:49:03.14
who just 50 days
earlier was chanting,
00:49:03.17\00:49:05.17
"Crucify Him, crucify Him.
00:49:05.21\00:49:06.94
Let His blood be on
us and on our children."
00:49:06.98\00:49:10.41
But now that that mob
mentality is calm down
00:49:10.45\00:49:12.78
and the fog of war
is left their heads
00:49:12.81\00:49:14.42
and now they're
clear thinking again,
00:49:14.45\00:49:16.45
Peter comes in with
a sword of the Spirit,
00:49:16.48\00:49:18.29
which is the word of God.
00:49:18.32\00:49:21.02
And he tells them, you
killed your own Messiah.
00:49:21.06\00:49:26.59
In Peters, and
they said in verse 37,
00:49:26.63\00:49:29.00
"When they heard this,
00:49:29.03\00:49:30.37
they were cut to the heart,
00:49:30.40\00:49:34.10
and said to Peter and
the rest of the apostles,
00:49:34.14\00:49:36.20
Men and brethren,
what shall we do?"
00:49:36.24\00:49:39.27
Praise the Lord,
Peter didn't say, oh,
00:49:39.31\00:49:40.84
there's nothing you
can do, you're lost.
00:49:40.88\00:49:43.98
His response was simple,
00:49:44.01\00:49:45.85
"Repent and let every
one of you be baptized
00:49:45.88\00:49:48.52
in the name of Jesus Christ
00:49:48.55\00:49:49.88
for the remission of sins,
00:49:49.92\00:49:51.25
and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit."
00:49:51.29\00:49:53.02
And as we go over
to verse 41, it says,
00:49:53.05\00:49:55.86
"Then those who gladly
received His word were," what?
00:49:55.89\00:49:58.86
"Baptized:
00:49:58.89\00:50:00.70
and that day about
three thousand souls
00:50:00.73\00:50:03.03
were added to them.
00:50:03.06\00:50:05.50
By the way, I must
make this point too.
00:50:05.53\00:50:08.10
When they were baptized,
00:50:08.14\00:50:09.47
they didn't just join
Jesus in a spiritual way,
00:50:09.50\00:50:11.87
they joined the body of
Christ in a literal way,
00:50:11.91\00:50:15.24
and they were part of the
body, which is the church.
00:50:15.28\00:50:18.95
They were added
not just to Jesus,
00:50:18.98\00:50:20.32
they were added to them,
00:50:20.35\00:50:21.68
the apostles.
00:50:21.72\00:50:23.28
And what happened in these
newly converted people's lives?
00:50:23.32\00:50:26.65
Boy, they had an
experience like none other.
00:50:26.69\00:50:29.52
Look at verse 42,
00:50:29.56\00:50:30.89
"And they continued
steadfastly in the apostles'
00:50:30.93\00:50:32.99
doctrine and fellowship,
00:50:33.03\00:50:34.36
in the breaking of
bread, and in prayers."
00:50:34.40\00:50:36.36
Now look at verse 44,
00:50:36.40\00:50:37.73
"Now all who
believed were together
00:50:37.77\00:50:39.57
and had all things in common,
00:50:39.60\00:50:41.27
and sold their
possessions and goods,
00:50:41.30\00:50:43.07
and divided them among
all as anyone had need."
00:50:43.10\00:50:45.37
What a
beautiful utopian picture?
00:50:45.41\00:50:47.18
Almost Edenic, where
everyone is converted
00:50:47.21\00:50:49.04
by the power of the Spirit.
00:50:49.08\00:50:50.71
They become like Christ
00:50:50.75\00:50:52.08
and disinterested benevolence
00:50:52.11\00:50:53.48
and anyone who
has need they give.
00:50:53.52\00:50:56.75
Powerful.
00:50:56.79\00:50:59.05
Go to Acts Chapter 4.
00:50:59.09\00:51:02.22
Acts Chapter 4.
00:51:02.26\00:51:04.63
We have almost
the same thing happen.
00:51:04.66\00:51:08.63
Acts 4:31,
00:51:08.66\00:51:10.53
"When they had prayed,
00:51:10.57\00:51:11.90
the place where
they were assembled
00:51:11.93\00:51:13.27
together was shaken
00:51:13.30\00:51:14.64
and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:51:14.67\00:51:16.00
and they spoke the word of God
00:51:16.04\00:51:17.37
with boldness."
00:51:17.41\00:51:18.74
And what was the response?
00:51:18.77\00:51:20.11
"Now the multitude of those
00:51:20.14\00:51:21.48
who believe were of
one heart and one soul,
00:51:21.51\00:51:22.84
neither did anyone
say that any of the things
00:51:22.88\00:51:24.31
he possessed was his own,
00:51:24.35\00:51:25.68
but they had all
things in common."
00:51:25.71\00:51:27.88
Verse 34,
00:51:27.92\00:51:29.25
"Nor was there anyone among them
00:51:29.28\00:51:30.69
who lacked for all who
were possessors of lands
00:51:30.72\00:51:32.99
or houses sold them,
00:51:33.02\00:51:34.36
and brought the proceeds
of the things that were sold
00:51:34.39\00:51:36.79
and laid them at
the apostles' feet
00:51:36.83\00:51:39.23
and they distributed to each one
00:51:39.26\00:51:41.13
as anyone had need."
00:51:41.16\00:51:42.56
I read that kind of fast
00:51:45.63\00:51:46.97
but I don't know if
you saw the difference
00:51:47.00\00:51:48.34
between Acts Chapter
2 and Acts Chapter 4.
00:51:48.37\00:51:50.74
In Acts Chapter 2,
00:51:50.77\00:51:52.11
everyone saw the
need of the other person
00:51:52.14\00:51:53.58
they gave of themselves
00:51:53.61\00:51:54.94
and address the need,
00:51:54.98\00:51:56.95
in Acts Chapter 4
that same spirit is there,
00:51:56.98\00:51:59.28
they see the needs
and the other people,
00:51:59.31\00:52:01.25
this time they sell their goods
00:52:01.28\00:52:02.62
and they lay it this
time at the apostles' feet
00:52:02.65\00:52:06.02
and the apostles distribute
to anyone who has need.
00:52:06.05\00:52:10.06
They've established a middleman.
00:52:10.09\00:52:12.09
When they were first converted,
00:52:15.10\00:52:17.47
they gave directly to the cause.
00:52:17.50\00:52:19.90
They saw someone
need, they helped.
00:52:19.93\00:52:23.07
They saw
something to do, they acted.
00:52:23.10\00:52:26.27
In Acts Chapter 4,
they saw the same need,
00:52:26.31\00:52:28.31
they felt the
same conviction to do,
00:52:28.34\00:52:30.15
but this time
instead of doing directly,
00:52:30.18\00:52:32.65
they lay at the
apostles and say,
00:52:32.68\00:52:34.05
"Could you on my
behalf go do this?"
00:52:34.08\00:52:36.15
Thus it's little
wonder in Acts 6:1,
00:52:39.35\00:52:45.86
we find this statement.
00:52:45.89\00:52:48.86
"Now in those days,
00:52:48.90\00:52:50.23
when the number of the disciples
00:52:50.27\00:52:51.60
was multiplying,
00:52:51.63\00:52:52.97
there arose a
complaint against the Hebrews
00:52:53.00\00:52:54.87
by the Hellenists,
00:52:54.90\00:52:56.24
because their widows
were neglected in the daily,"
00:52:56.27\00:52:58.54
what?
00:52:58.57\00:52:59.91
"Distribution."
00:52:59.94\00:53:03.91
A complaint arose.
00:53:03.95\00:53:05.28
By the way, I like to joke
00:53:05.31\00:53:06.65
that this is the
official beginning
00:53:06.68\00:53:08.02
of the Christian church.
00:53:08.05\00:53:10.92
Now that there's complaining,
it is a church family.
00:53:10.95\00:53:15.02
But what is the
basis of their complaint?
00:53:15.06\00:53:17.06
What is their concern here?
00:53:17.09\00:53:19.19
Is that there's
being a discrepancy,
00:53:19.23\00:53:21.50
some unfairness, some inequity
00:53:21.53\00:53:24.07
in the
distribution of the goods?
00:53:24.10\00:53:26.67
And whose
responsibility was it now
00:53:26.70\00:53:28.44
to distribute the goods
according Acts Chapter 4?
00:53:28.47\00:53:31.01
The apostles.
00:53:31.04\00:53:32.77
So they came to
the apostles and said,
00:53:32.81\00:53:34.21
look, I know this
church work is great
00:53:34.24\00:53:35.58
and your winning of souls.
00:53:35.61\00:53:36.95
And I'm glad the
message is going out,
00:53:36.98\00:53:38.31
but we got some
problems here at home.
00:53:38.35\00:53:39.68
Did you know that you
guys are not being fair?
00:53:39.71\00:53:41.88
Did you know, and a
complaint starts rising up
00:53:41.92\00:53:44.05
and it's racial, it's ugly,
00:53:44.09\00:53:45.89
it's Hebrews and Hellenists,
00:53:45.92\00:53:47.26
it's all kind of
cultural divide, it's ugly.
00:53:47.29\00:53:49.19
And I'm guessing
00:53:53.73\00:53:56.60
that it was at this moment
00:53:56.63\00:53:58.37
because you know,
they had 3,000 baptized,
00:53:58.40\00:54:01.44
and then the church grew
some more in Acts Chapter 4
00:54:01.47\00:54:03.71
and here in Acts
Chapter 6, it says,
00:54:03.74\00:54:05.51
when the number of the disciples
00:54:05.54\00:54:06.88
was multiplying,
00:54:06.91\00:54:08.24
now they have a great
multitude of followers, right?
00:54:08.28\00:54:12.05
And they're all complaining
00:54:12.08\00:54:13.42
about something
being distributed fairly.
00:54:13.45\00:54:15.95
And something
flashes in their mind.
00:54:20.72\00:54:24.66
Doesn't this
remind you that one time
00:54:24.69\00:54:27.86
where Jesus had that
multitude following Him
00:54:27.90\00:54:31.17
and they're all
needing, something distributed?
00:54:31.20\00:54:35.90
It's the feeding of the 5,000.
00:54:35.94\00:54:39.21
Watch what they do.
00:54:39.24\00:54:40.98
Verse 12,
00:54:41.01\00:54:42.34
"Then the twelve
summon the multitude
00:54:42.38\00:54:44.61
of the disciples and said,
00:54:44.65\00:54:45.98
'It is not desirable
00:54:46.01\00:54:47.42
that we should
leave the word of God,
00:54:47.45\00:54:49.35
and serve tables.'"
00:54:49.38\00:54:50.95
Is there anything ignoble
00:54:50.99\00:54:52.55
or ungodly about serving tables?
00:54:52.59\00:54:55.92
No.
00:54:55.96\00:54:57.29
They're just saying
that is not our job.
00:54:57.33\00:55:01.23
It's a good job,
it's just not our job.
00:55:01.26\00:55:05.20
Therefore, so what
are we gonna do about it?
00:55:05.23\00:55:07.10
If the pastor doesn't feed us,
00:55:07.14\00:55:08.87
what are we gonna do?
00:55:08.90\00:55:11.14
Verse 3,
00:55:11.17\00:55:12.51
"Therefore, brethren,
seek out from," where?
00:55:12.54\00:55:15.48
"From among you seven
men of good reputation,
00:55:15.51\00:55:18.98
full of the Holy
Spirit and wisdom,
00:55:19.01\00:55:21.62
whom we may
appoint over this business,
00:55:21.65\00:55:24.05
but we will give
ourselves continually to prayer
00:55:24.09\00:55:27.19
and to the
ministry of the word."
00:55:27.22\00:55:28.99
They said, if we were
to stop doing our ministry
00:55:29.02\00:55:31.86
that God has given us,
00:55:31.89\00:55:33.23
we would start caring
for every individual effort
00:55:33.26\00:55:36.46
and start
serving over the tables,
00:55:36.50\00:55:38.13
hovering over the church
00:55:38.17\00:55:39.53
and our expansion
forward work would halt.
00:55:39.57\00:55:43.64
Instead of going out
00:55:43.67\00:55:45.01
we would just stay in
and settle over you people.
00:55:45.04\00:55:48.84
There's nothing
wrong with you people
00:55:48.88\00:55:50.21
and your needs are legitimate,
00:55:50.25\00:55:51.58
but it's not our job to do that.
00:55:51.61\00:55:53.95
One of the first miracles
in the church is verse 5,
00:55:56.99\00:55:59.62
"And the saying
pleased the whole congregation,
00:55:59.65\00:56:02.66
the whole multitude."
00:56:02.69\00:56:05.33
And it lists off
the name of those chosen
00:56:05.36\00:56:07.46
to do this work and
what was the result?
00:56:07.50\00:56:09.93
Verse 7,
00:56:09.96\00:56:11.30
"Then the word of God spread,
00:56:11.33\00:56:13.30
and the number of the disciples
00:56:13.34\00:56:14.67
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,
00:56:14.70\00:56:17.04
and a great many of the priests
00:56:17.07\00:56:18.41
were obedient to the faith."
00:56:18.44\00:56:19.77
Ministry of Healing, page 147,
00:56:24.01\00:56:25.71
you can also find it in
Christian Service, page 10,
00:56:25.75\00:56:28.55
"Everywhere there's a
tendency to substitute
00:56:28.58\00:56:31.25
the work of organizations
for individual effort.
00:56:31.29\00:56:34.69
Human wisdom
tends to consolidation,
00:56:34.72\00:56:37.46
to centralization,
to the building up
00:56:37.49\00:56:39.43
of great
churches and institutions.
00:56:39.46\00:56:41.56
Multitudes leave to institutions
00:56:41.60\00:56:43.57
and organizations
the work of benevolence,
00:56:43.60\00:56:45.83
which is the doing
of good for others.
00:56:45.87\00:56:49.14
They excuse themselves
from contact with the world
00:56:49.17\00:56:51.94
and their hearts grow cold.
00:56:51.97\00:56:54.11
They become
self-absorbed and unimpressible.
00:56:54.14\00:56:56.98
Love for God and man
dies out of the soul.
00:56:57.01\00:56:59.75
Christ commits to His
followers an individual work,
00:56:59.78\00:57:03.18
a work that
cannot be done by proxy.
00:57:03.22\00:57:06.86
Ministry to the
sick and the poor,
00:57:06.89\00:57:09.32
the giving of the
gospel to the lost,
00:57:09.36\00:57:10.99
is not to be left to committees
or organized charities.
00:57:11.03\00:57:14.43
Individual responsibility,
individual effort,
00:57:14.46\00:57:17.83
personal sacrifice,
00:57:17.87\00:57:19.20
is the
requirement of the gospel.
00:57:19.23\00:57:22.10
Friends, let me tell you,
00:57:22.14\00:57:23.47
we have the
three angels' message,
00:57:23.51\00:57:24.84
what he's looking for
are three angels' messengers,
00:57:24.87\00:57:27.64
who will
individually see the need
00:57:27.68\00:57:29.31
in their families, their
homes, their communities,
00:57:29.34\00:57:30.98
the people around them
00:57:31.01\00:57:32.35
that the mission
fields are local and abroad
00:57:32.38\00:57:33.78
and go and give the
gospel to the world.
00:57:33.82\00:57:36.38
Praise the Lord for
wonderful institutions,
00:57:36.42\00:57:38.45
but what we need are individuals
00:57:38.49\00:57:40.12
who are gonna
take the Word of God
00:57:40.16\00:57:41.72
and be a soldier for Him,
00:57:41.76\00:57:43.26
a ministering spirit sent
forth to minister for those
00:57:43.29\00:57:46.33
who will inherit salvation.
00:57:46.36\00:57:48.83
Dear Heavenly Father,
00:57:48.86\00:57:50.20
I thank you so much for the joy
00:57:50.23\00:57:51.93
and the
responsibility of ministry.
00:57:51.97\00:57:54.57
Please give us
Your method of working,
00:57:54.60\00:57:57.41
help us to be your angels,
00:57:57.44\00:57:59.64
your messengers
here in this world
00:57:59.67\00:58:01.84
that we may do
the will of our Father
00:58:01.88\00:58:03.61
and hasten the coming of Jesus.
00:58:03.65\00:58:05.41
For I pray it in
Jesus' name. Amen.
00:58:05.45\00:58:08.12